Means for locating and securing sunken vessels to hoisting apparatus.



1. CAHILL. MEANS FOR LOCATINQ AND SECURING SUNKEN VESSELS T0 HOISTINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION mm) DEC.8.19I6.

wmvassfs A TTORNE Y8 NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J'. CAHILL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR noca'rrne AND SECURING SUNKENFVESSELSTO nors'rme APPARATUS.

Application filed December 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnonxs J. CAHILL, a citizen of Australia, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Means for Locating and Securing Sunken Vessels to Hoistin Apparatus, of which the following is a 'ull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to means for indicating the position of a sunken vessel, and also for presenting means whereby said vessel may be connected to hoisting apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive indicator with which are associated means for securing a sunken vessel, the position of which isindicated by the device, to the lifting chain or cable of a hoisting apparatus.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. I

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device applied to a sunken vessel;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the means for securing a hoisting chain or cable to a sunken vessel;

- Fi 3 is a side elevation of the float which constitutes the indicator; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a vessel equipped with my device.

Referring to the drawings, 5 is a buoy connected by a flexible member 6 of suitable length to a. hook 7. The hook is provided with a pair of rigid arms 8 disposed in the plane of the hook and directed upwardly from the lower end 9 of the hook which is to be connected to a chain 10 secured to one, side of a vessel 11. rected oppositely and each carries a float 12 the buoyancy of which floats is suflicient to raise the'chains associated with the hook.

These floatswill maintain the hook 7 in an upright position. due to the fact that the l the opposite side of the vessel 11.

The flexible member 6 is engaged by a The two arms are dd",

Serial No. 135,780.

chain link 14: which is maintained at the buoy'5 by a member 15. The link 14 is intended to be secured to a hoisting chain or cable, and when so secured the member 15 can be severed. The member 6 will then guide the link 1-1 into engagement with the hook 7. p

To exert the pull only on the side of the vessel on which the vessel banks, the chain 10 is provided with a crossbar 16 adapted to engage the link 13. When a pull is exerted on the hook 7, the crossbar 16 will come into engagement with the link 13, particularly if the pull is in the direction of the chain 13, as shown in Fig. 1. Thereby the maximum pull will be applied to the side of the vessel to which this chain is connected. In case the pull is in the direction of the portion of the chain 10 below the cross bar 16, the maxi- Speci iication of Letters Patent, Patented Aug, 14, 191.7.

mum pull will be on the side of the vessel to which the chain 10 is-connected, with substantially no pull on the other chain until the vessel is brought to a substantially upright position. v

The provision ofthe crossbar on the chain 10 assures a maximum pull on any desired Q is lowered at the end of a lifting chain or cable from a hoisting apparatus.

I claim 1. In combination, a pair of flexible members, one presenting a link through which the other flexible member passes, a crossbar carried by said other flexible member for engaging the link, a hook connected to said other-flexible member, .floats associated with said hook for maintaining the hook in an upright position in water, a buoy, a flexible member connecting the buoy to the hook, a chain link carried by said flexible member, and a severable member connecting said link to the buoy.

2. In combination, a pair of chains, one

of said chains presenting a link throughhook connected to said other chain above the bar and the link, a pair of arms associated I arms for maintaining said hookin an up right posltlon in water, a buoy-, 'a flexible memberconnecting the buoy to the hook, a

v with the book, a floatcarried by each of said chain link carried by said flexible member;

and a severable member connecting said link to the buoy.

3. In combination, a hook the body portion of which is adapted to be secured, a 5 pair of arms connected to the body of the hook, a float carried by each of said arms so as to maintain the hook in an upright position in water, a buoy, a flexible member connecting the buoy to the hook, a chain linlc carried by said flexible member, and n scvcrl0 able member connecting said link to the buoy.

THOMAS J CAHILL. 

